Difference Between How Are You and How Are You Doing

In different parts of the world, there are many different ways to greet people. Out of these, how are you and how are you doing are very popular and commonly used by people, to not just greet friends but also to break ice when they are dealing with a stranger. Many believe the two ways to greet as being very similar and use them interchangeably. There are many who feel that these words actually mean nothing and are just a way to start a conversation with another person. Let us take a closer look.

How are you?

This is a phrase that is considered as an extension of hello and very informal way of starting a conversation with a person. This is a phrase that is mostly responded by saying fine, thank you and no more. There are two more ways to respond to how are you and these are as follows.

Fine, and you?

I am fine, thanks.

How are you is fired more as a question so as to elicit a response from the listener, and good manners dictate that the listener should respond with a polite thank you as his wellbeing has been asked by the person.

How are you doing?

How are you doing is a phrase that is sometimes used to strike a conversation but mostly it is used to greet another person. Doing in this phrase does not have anything to do with doing per se but is just a way to enquire the wellbeing of the person. In fact, doing in this phrase relates more to feelings than doing well in a business or life in general. If it is a stranger in a party who is asking you this question, you can simply say fine, thank you and walk away. The thing to remember with how are you doing is that it is simply an alternative to how do you do and only a polite way to strike a conversation and a way to greet a person.

What is the difference between How Are You and How Are You Doing?

• If how do you do is the most formal way of greeting a person, how are you and how are you doing are certainly much less formal or rather informal ways of greeting a person.

• How are you doesn’t enquire about the health or wellbeing. It is just a way of greeting to start a conversation.

• If you do not like how do you do, you can make use of how are you doing with people of your age.

• There are many puritans who feel that the best way to greet in a formal manner remains how do you do, and they feel offended with how are you and how are you doing though it is a fact that these phrases are much less informal than howdy which seems to have taken over the youth of today.